02-Nov-2010 -- My first twelve zero confluence! Ever since seeing Alex Jarrett’s picture of the passing cargo ship, taken back in March 2001, this has been a much anticipated visit. However, my previous occasional trips to New Orleans had come to an abrupt halt in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and this would be my first return to the Crescent City and first DCP opportunity post-hurricane. Based on recent conflicting reports, I wasn’t sure what to expect: In March 2008, Joseph Kerski and Barbaree Duke seemed to have just breezed right up to the spot, but nine months later the cousin team of Aaron and Wendell bypassed 30N 90W in favor of a trip to 31N 89W, after encountering “discouraging” signs saying not to enter.

As I drove into Louisiana on I-10, the heavy rains I had been dodging, ever since leaving Tennessee before daybreak, had settled into a gentle, steady shower, marked by gusty wind. While stopping for a state map at the Welcome Center, the volunteer at the desk asked me “where you headed?” My reply of “30-90” led to an extended explanation, after which I returned to the car to retrieve a copy for him of Joseph Kerski report #2. I hope I made a new DCP convert… About ten miles down the road, I turned south on I-510, crossed U.S. 90, then exited west on Almonaster Blvd before I-510 crosses the Intracoastal Waterway just west of its junction with the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet [The infamous “MR-GO” (pronounced locally as “Mr. Go”) formed a perfect funnel for the Katrina storm surge to pile up the flood waters that overwhelmed the levee system in East New Orleans and the Ninth Ward.] A prominent landmark on the north side of Almonaster was mounds of junk cars. Lovely. I passed Elaine Road before I realized it, but made a u-turn on the divided highway, then headed south on Elaine. A half mile later I discovered the road blocked by Entrance Gate #1. Item 4 on the Visitor Policy sign posted nearby said you needed to “Be escorted on/off property,” but as the guard shack was empty, there was no one to ask for an escort. I decided this was not going to be the way to reach 30N 90W today…

Retracing my route to Almonaster, I turned left to attempt an approach from the west. I somehow made my way onto Jourdan Road, paralleling the industrial canal from Lake Pontchartrain, only to run into another dead end just before the Waterway at the New Orleans Cold Storage Warehouse. I once more backtracked, looking for Terminal Road.

Turning east on Terminal Road, I averted my eyes to avoid seeing the first of the Harbor Police Department signs saying “No Trespassing/ Violators will be Prosecuted/ Strictly Enforced.” As there were several commercial businesses up ahead, I figured this must still be a public road, and I proceeded on. However, after the pavement ended and the road narrowed, I came to an open gate which made the second round of posted signs seem much more ominous. I got out to take a picture and give the gate a forlorn look before turning back for the third time...

Back at the end of the pavement I saw a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign for a project providing hurricane protection to a pumping station. Around the corner of the pump station I had a clear view to the levee, and the best news, not a “Do Not…” sign in sight! I hiked to the top of the embankment, and found myself about 1,000 meters from 30N 90W. As I walk eastward, I headed into the wind, getting peppered by the light drizzle. Behind me I could see the skyline of downtown New Orleans.

At 90W I came down off the levee to look for zeroes, thus losing my great vantage point. As to the view at the cp, I found what isn’t blocked by the levee is behind the thick vegetation to the north. The rain picked up, making it impossible to keep the camera lens dry. In a noticeable change from the second Kerski visit, the grass on the levee was cut very short. This gave my photos in the four cardinal directions a very neat appearance. The next day while visiting nearby Chalmette Battlefield (under, I might add, much better weather conditions), I learn this year’s drought has made it easy for local maintenance crews to keep up with their summer mowing.

Minus the rain, I’d have stayed a little longer, but instead I head back to my car. Along the way, I stop to watch a passing pleasure boat, and try to picture what this area might have looked like at the height of the post-Katrina flooding. On my drive to a hotel in the French Quarter, I pass many reminders the city’s recovery is far from complete…